There is a lot of fear in the air these days. Whatever direction your fear is taking you – grocery prices, forest fires, your health – it is important to not allow the fear take over. Our thoughts and words are vibrations of energy that we send out to the universe, attracting like energies back into our lives. It’s called the law of attraction and it’s working whether you understand it or not.

What you focus on will grow in your life, so if you are focusing on how poor you are, that will never change. At a time in my life when my income was below the poverty line, I was learning about the law of attraction and how fear of lack would only attract more lack. So I decided to focus on what I had to be thankful for instead. It’s amazing how things can change when we shift our perspective. I led a peaceful life with my little boy, teaching yoga and meditation for a living. We were healthy. We were happy. There was so much to be thankful for and these were the things I focused on.

I recall one day standing in a store where I’d gone to buy some warm gloves for the cold Winnipeg winter. There were a few to choose from and given my low income, I’d normally have chosen the cheapest but I realized that that decision was coming from a lack mentality. The gloves I liked best were only a few dollars more, but I stood there for a long time before finally allowing myself to purchase them.

I felt a kind of elation at this choice and it shifted my energy. When we feel happy, we attract more to be happy about. I continued in small ways to be aware of choosing that which brought me joy rather than limiting myself for fear of not being able to afford something, and over the next few years, my income grew so much that I was able to move to a bigger home, buy a new car and still have lots leftover! For the first time in my life I had a surplus of money and I had made no effort in the external world to achieve this. All my work was on the inside: Choosing love over fear in every instance.

You can apply this to any area of your life. If you focus on all the things your partner does that annoy you, they will grow. If you focus on the things you love about them, those will multiply. Instead of complaining about your back pain every morning, whisper a thank you to your legs for carrying you into the kitchen. If your legs aren’t working, be thankful that your eyes are. At the very least, you will feel happier if you practice this.

Don’t let fear take over your mind. You can choose your thoughts, so choose the ones that make you feel good.